Interior packaging member



ma M will y Z0 7 z5 C??? 5 l r/ Z7 I lul i /7 Hin. 1 25 33 i United States atent O 3,245,602 INTERIOR PACKAGING MEMBER William D. Bovard, Council Bluffs, Iowa, assignor, by n y mesne assignments, to Packaging Corporation of America, Evanston, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 22, 1964, Ser. No. 384,398 1 Claim. (Cl. 229-14) This invention relates to `a packaging member and method of forming same for either bracing a product within the interior of a shipping container, or dividing the interior space of a container or similar type receptacle into a pluralityof product accommodating contigous compartments.

In the packagingof a single item or product in a containerfor shipping or storage, it is frequently necessary to utilize sometype of bracing mea-ns for the product so as to restrain movement thereof within the container When the latter is being handled. The amount and extent of the bracing required will depend in large measure upon the size, weight, and shape of the product involved and the type of container to be used.

In instances, where a variety of products are to be packaged or stored in a single container or receptacle, it is oftentimes desirable for such products to remain separated from one another. This can be readily accomplished in many instances by utilizing an insert piece in combination with a conventional rectangular or square shaped container which will effect dividing of the interior thereof into numerous contiguous compartments.

Various members have heretofore been provided which are capable of functioning in the manner above-noted. These prior members, however, have been beset with one or more shortcomings which have in certain instances curtailed their utilization in the packaging industry, For exam-ple, many of the prior members were of such design as to require staples, adhesives, adhesive-coated tapes, or the -like to facilitate the setting up of such members. Also, these prior members were frequently formed from blanks or parts of complex design which made the setting up thereof a time-consuming and awkward operation. In other instances, such members were n-ot readily capable of being collapsed into a compact unit for storage. Furthermore, because of the shape of the blanks from which these prior members were formed, a considerable amount of material waste resulted.

Thus, it is one of the objects of this invention to provide an interior packaging member which 4readily overcomes the shortcomings aforenoted.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an interior packaging member which may be readily formed in a matter of seconds without the need for staples, adhesive, adhesive-coated tapes or the like.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a simple, yet sturdy member which may readily function as either a bracing element or as an interior divider for a container or the like.

Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, an interior packaging member is provided which is formed from a blank sheet material, such as corrugated boxboard. The member includes a pair of foldably connected sections, each section having an upright Wall panel, an upright end panel fold-ably connected to one side of said wall panel, and an upright end iiap foldably connected to the opposite side of said wall panel. The end panel and end flap are angularly disposed in opposite directions with respect to the wall panel. The lines of fold between the end panel, wall panel, and end ap of each section are in "ice substantially spaced parallel relation. The end flap of each section is connected to -a portion of the end panel of the other section 'by a foldline which is disposed substantially normal to the other foldlines of the sections. The end panels and wall panels lof the sections cooperate to delimit a predetermined area. The end ap of one section and the portion -of the end panel of the other section to which it is connected are disposed outside the predetermined area.

For a more vcomplete understanding of this invention reference should be made to the drawing whereinf FIG. 1 is a top plan View of one form of blank from which the improved interior packaging member is formed;

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG, 1, but shows the blank after its initial fold;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the improved interior packaging member after it has been formed; and

FIG. 4 is a topplan view, `on a reduced scale, of the improved interior packaging member showing the same formed and disposed within a container, the latter being indicated in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1 a blank 10 is shown which is adapted to be folded so Ias to form an improved interior packaging member 111, shown in FIG. 3. The blank is of a suitable sheet material, such as double-faced corrugated boxboard, and is divided into two sections 12 and 13 by an elongated, substantially centrally disposed foldine 14 which extends from one side A of the blank to the opposite side B thereof, see FIG. 1.

It is to be noted that a substantial portion of foldline 14, intermediate its ends, is interrupted by an elongated cut or slit 15.

Section 12, in the illustrated embodiment, comprises a wall panel 16, an end panel 17 connected .to one side thereof by a foldline 18, and an end flap 20 connected to the opposite side of panel 16 by a foldline 21. Foldlines 18 and 21, or the axes of fold thereof, are substantially Iparallel to one .another and extend from side C of the blank 41t) to the axis of foldline 14. Foldline 18, intermediate its ends, is interrupted by a cut or slit 22 which forms a tongue-like segment 23 in end panel 17, see FIG. l.

Section 13, in Ia similar manner, comprises a wall panel 2-4, an end panel 25 which is connected to one side thereof by a foldline 26, and an end flap 27 which is connected to the opposite side of panel 24 by foldline 28. Foldlines 26 Iand. 28, or the axes thereof, are substantially parallel to each other as well as to the yaxes of foldlines 18 .and 21. Foldlines 26 `and 28 extend from blank side D to the axis of foldline 15. As in the case of foldline 1S of section 12, foldline 26 is interrupted intermediate its ends by cut or slit `30. Cut 30 forms a tongue-like segment 31 at one end of end panel 25. If desired, cuts 22 and 30 may be omitted entirely, `or only one thereof utilized. Likewise the shape, size and the direction of projection of each segment may be varied from that shown in the drawing.

It will be noted in FIG. 1 that edges C and D of the blank 10 are provided with a plurality of recesses 32 and 33. rIlhese recesses permit portions of the product being packaged to extend beyond the panels of the member. Obviously, the size and shape and location of such recesses may be varied from that shown.

As seen in FIG. 4, tongue-segments 23 yand 31 and end tiaps 20 and 27 project outwardly substantially the same amount and engage the interior wall surfaces of the shipping container or receptacle 34. If desired, the extent of projection of both the tongue segments and end tia-ps `may be varied from that shown so as to vary the size of the `compartments 35, 36, and 37 formed by 3 member `11 within the interior of container 34, see 1119.14.

If cuts 22 and 30` were varied from that shown (FIG. 1) so that a portion thereof wais disposed in panels 16 and 24, respectively, and a secrondportion thereof was disposed in ypanels 17 and 25, respectively, two tongue sections,`not shown, would `be formed by `each cut, which Wouldextend at right angles to oneanother, whereupon all of the interior wall surfaces of the container would be 'contacted by the tongue segments and end llaps.

As seen in FIG. 1, panels`16 and 24, and 1'7 and 25 ofthe sections are in staggered relation so that when the member 11 is fortrned, the panels l16,-17, 24 land 25 will cooperate vwith one another to delimit the predetermined area 35.

In forming,'or'setting`fup, vthe member v11, the blank 10 is initially folded' about lthe `axis of `foldl-ine 14, so that sections V`12 and 13 fare inoverlying face to face contact, see' FIGnZ. `Cornpressive'force F,fFIG. 2, is thenfapplied in a direction axially of foldline 14, whereupon the panels yand -Haps ofthe'sections willi fold relative toi one another about the lremaining foldlines into the member lshown Vin FIG. 3. Thememberfllm-ay be stor'edeith'er in lblank (FIG. ll) .or lin 2x1-collapsed state y(F'IG.'2) v'depending upon -tliesizeof the'storage'area. l

`If desired, the size and shape of the panels -and'ap of each section mayva'ry from' 'that shownwithout 5de-parting'from the invention.

Thus,:it`will be seen that asimple, yet sturdy, and ineXpen-sivefinterior packaging member has been-provided which' does r`not require staples, adhesive, adhesive-coated tapes, -01' the like? to" be 'utilized in order -to eectsuch fformation. Furthermore lthe improved .member may readily function as eithera bracing memberor'as a divider of the container interior.

While Vseveral embodiments of this invention are shown above, itwillbe understood-of 'course-that the invention is not to be limited thereto, since many; modifications may be made and it is contemplated,ltherefore, by the appended 4 claim to vcover any such lmodifications as fall Within vthe true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

A foldable blank of sheet material for forming an interior packaging member, said lblank comprising a pair of elongated sections; each section including a Wall panel, an end panel connected by a rst foldline to one side of said wall panel, and an'end yflap connected by a second foldline to the'opposite side ofsaidwal-l panel, said foldlines being in substantially parallel relation; the end panel and endvflap of one section and the endy flap and end panel, respectively, of the other sectionbeing connected to one another by third and fourth foldlines, the latter foldlines be-ing angularly disposed with respect to said first and Vsecond foldlines, said third Sand fourth foldlines being longitudinally js-paced from onejanother and .separated'by an elongated slit, said two sections being foldable into overlying facet-(r face =relationg `said end panels `and said wall panels cooperatingwith Yone another to delimita predetermined area when said sections are in overlying relation `and `a compressive force `is lexerted -on the opposite edges` of said blank in a direction substantially transverse to=said Yfirst andsecondwfoldlines; the first foldlinebetween the end `panel'and Wall panel of one fsection 'beingA interrupted rby aslitfo'rming atongiie segment on one'of said panels, Isaid tongue: segment'being disposed outside the formed predetermined area.

1EIOREIGN Plffllffs 1,173,827` 10/1958 France.

JOSEPH K. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.` 

